Acting on behalf of an institutional client, Sibbett Gregory & joint agents Smith Price, have let 47 Commercial Road, Bournemouth to sports and leisurewear retailer, Animal. The property was previously occupied by Costa Coffee who vacated the property in July. Animal have relocated from another unit on Commercial Road.

Alastair Knott, Director at Sibbett Gregory commented: “We were very pleased to agree this deal with Animal on an off-market basis. Animal have relocated to an improved trading pitch and we were able to agree the transaction prior to Costa vacating the unit, therefore minimising the void period for our client”.

Acting on behalf of a private client, Sibbett Gregory have let 141 High Street, Poole to the Mexican style fast food operator – Taco Bell. The restaurant becomes the 15th outlet in the Taco Bell UK portfolio and forms part of a larger acquisition programme.

Sibbett Gregory’s Town Planning Department were also involved in the deal, achieving a change of use on the property to facilitate the letting.

Alastair Knott, Director at Sibbett Gregory commented: “Poole High Street has faced significant challenges over the last year, with occupiers such as McDonalds & Burger King vacating properties in the town centre. Despite this, Poole remains attractive to operators and Taco Bell are one of a number of new occupiers coming to the town. Delfino Lounge have recently opened in Falkland Square whilst The Entertainer and Coffee#1 are currently fitting out units on the High Street,”

The Sibbett Gregory can now offer the services of nine Chartered Commercial Property Surveyors. The Firm’s philosophy of providing clients with solutions to every aspect of commercial property has stood the test of time. For a quarter of a century, Sibbett Gregory has consistently offered service of the highest calibre. Such a history breeds present expectation. In line with this, the Firm is pleased with the additional resources three more Commercial Property Surveyors represent.

Delivering Excellence of Service

Sibbett Gregory offers services informed by the belief that a display of excellence in every element of the Firm is what customers expect, and deserve. The expansion to nine Chartered Commercial Property Surveyors has been enabled by existing staff members Mark Reynell, Chris Tillbrook and Jon Baron successfully completing their RICS qualifications.

Within this new cohort of talent, there is a diversity of skill sets, increasing the spectrum of available services. Mark Reynell and Chris Tillbrook have qualified as Chartered Building Surveyors, while Jon Baron has qualified as a Chartered Commercial Property Surveyor.

Jonathan Sibbett personally comments that the Firm was keen to support all three candidates through the challenging process of achieving RICS qualifications and congratulates them on their success. Chartered surveying is a rewarding and exciting profession. The three newly-qualified candidates look forward to fulfilling the enormous potential they have displayed.

Qualified for New Opportunities

Mark Reynell is the Director responsible for Sibbett Gregory’s Building Surveying Department, and Chris Tillbrook has been promoted to Associate within the Building team. Jon Baron works as part of the Firm’s Commercial Agency team and has likewise been promoted to Associate.

Sibbett Gregory will be celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, a milestone that they are proud to celebrate in the variety of qualified staff they employ. Within this palette of abilities, there is a uniform degree of diligence and responsibility. You will find this standard among both the newly accredited surveyors and those already qualified.

Sibbett Gregory has established surveyors in its Town Planning and Professional Services Departments. The Firm can also offer a qualified Energy Performance Assessor.

Sibbett Gregory has for the last 25 years striven to spearhead the development of commercial property within the local area. The Firm is pleased to announce its key role in two new successful projects.

New Stores to Boost Local Areas

These projects involve the construction of two new food stores. The first is situated in Ringwood, the second located at Blandford Heights. The building of these stores will offer much needed new opportunities and not only for those purchasing their groceries. These stores will also mean a number of opportunities for those seeking employment. The fulfilment of these two requirements will combine, acting as a spur to the local economy. The Firm is glad to play a part in bringing these beneficial projects to fruition.

The two new sites are now in development by Lidl, in the course of their continuing expansion programme.

In the case of the Ringwood site, the Firm acted on behalf of Morrish Builders to sell a plot of approximately 1.8 acres, at the front of Forest Gate Business Park. After a grant of planning consent to Lidl, construction is now at an advanced stage, with the new food store set to open by February 2017.

With regard to the Blandford site, Sibbett Gregory acted for private clients to sell a three-acre parcel of land at Shaftesbury Lane, Blandford Heights. Planning consent was given late in 2016. Lidl can happily report that development of the site is now well underway.

Positive Impact of Developments

Jonathan Sibbett comments that: “these two sales demonstrate the impact which the discount food store operators are having on the retail market”.

The Ringwood and Blandford areas will soon be positively affected by these new stores. The benefits of increased choice and higher employment will become apparent to the community. It is hoped that the upswing generated in the local economy may well lead to further developments and projects.

Sibbett Gregory can report that they have acted for their client, Store & Secure Ltd, to acquire a new outlet in Basingstoke.

Store & Secure Ltd were winners of the Self Storage Association (SSA) Independent Operators Best Facility Award for 2014 in both the UK and Europe. They followed this by finishing as finalists in both 2015 and 2016. In their desire to be the first choice for self-storage in the UK, Store & Secure strive to combine flexible, cost-effective solutions to customers needs for safe, secure storage.

MATCHING CLIENTS PROPERTY NEEDS

Store & Secure sites feature a range of storage units and rooms to accommodate the widely-differing demands of the self-storage sector. Thus the location for the new outlet in Basingstoke required exacting parameters that Sibbett Gregory’s team were only too happy to work with, in their comprehensive manner.

Following a rigorous search, Sibbett Gregory staff identified a 30,000 sq ft industrial building at the well-established Houndmills Estate, which is prominently situated amidst a range of trade and dealership uses. The estate’s location in Basingstoke, a major centre for commerce and industry, along with the borough’s population of approximately 168,000, all bodes well for the future growth of Store & Secure’s already thriving business.

The site itself offers Store & Secure ample room for development and will prove to be an asset to the Basingstoke area business portfolio. Store & Secure’s reputation for customer service, and building links with local removal and transport companies, will prove to be further boons to the Basingstoke economy.

A BROAD RANGE OF SERVICES

Sibbett Gregory’s services in the acquisition of this new site included lease negotiations and securing planning consent for the change of use. Further to these, the Firm acted to obtain the landlord’s consent for tenant alterations and monitoring of works undertaken.

Jonathan Sibbett comments: “we were delighted that Sibbett Gregory’s broad range of services were able to assist a major client with its expansion plans”.

Following successful promotion of development with the local planning process, outline planning permission has now been secured for a mixed use development of up to 350 dwellings and community facilities on land at Blandford St Mary.

Development in accordance with the outline planning permission will deliver 30% affordable housing to meet local needs, a financial contribution to education facilities in the town, a community hall, allotments, enhancements of the trailway network and highway improvements. The planning permission also provides scope for a number of optional facilities including care home, medical centre, public house/restaurant.

It has been an exceptionally busy and successful year for the Sibbett Gregory Planning Team, in which consent was obtained for over 1150 dwellings and a significant amount of commercial and community development.

In conjunction with Western Design Architects, Sibbett Gregory secured outline planning permission for the second, third and fourth phases of a development which includes approximately 800 dwellings at Weymouth, many of which will be affordable. A retail unit has been pre-let by Sibbett Gregory to the Co-op as a convenience store.

In conjunction with architects, Morgan Carey secured the allocation of land at Blandford for up to 350 dwellings and community facilities. Subsequently, the team coordinated an environmental impact statement to secure outline planning permission for up to 350 dwellings, subject to a Section 106 planning obligation to secure commercial and environmental infrastructure.

After a four year battle planning permission has eventually been obtained to provide a Crematory within the basement of a service chapel, currently under construction in the Green Belt in the vicinity of Lytchett Minster and Corfe Mullen.

Planning permission was also obtained on appeal for 5 houses on land previously identified as an Important Open or Wooded Area in Stourpaine. This Conservation led scheme was designed by architect Peter Thompson.

The team also coordinated the submission of a successful application for a study of lawful use for a yacht haven without compliance with conditions previously imposed. This effectively doubled the previously authorised capacity to widen the scope of activity within the marina.

During the year there were also a number of other successful planning applications and appeals including the removal of a Section 52 agreement that was entered into in 1990 restricting the occupancy of a dwelling house and potentially doubling the value of the property.

Earlier in the year the team assisted Richard Horden international award winning architect in a successful appeal for an additional dwelling within the grounds of his home, which is a modern building also designed by him listed as being of architectural interest.

Permission was also granted for a development of 10 dwellings located in open countryside outside Weymouth in respect of which Sibbett Gregory had prepared a Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment.

The team is currently engaged in a number of applications and appeals as well as promoting the allocation of development land through local plans and neighbourhood plans throughout Dorset and beyond.

Acting on behalf of Majestic Property and Estates Ltd, Sibbett Gregory have sold two new office suites in Poole town centre.

The offices form part of ‘Altitude’ which is a seven storey mixed use building on Parkstone Road in Poole with self-contained offices on the ground floor and residential apartments above.

Sibbett Gregory sold Suite One comprising 1,514 sq ft to Dutton Gregory LLP and Suite Two comprising 1,170 sq ft was sold to a private investor. The suites are of modern specification and have two allocated parking spaces at the rear of the property.

Jayne Sharman of Sibbett Gregory commented “There is a shortage of office premises to buy in the local area and therefore these suites attracted a good level of interest”.

Acting on behalf of an institutional client, Sibbett Gregory & joint agents CBRE, have sold a major long leasehold investment located within Poole town centre, opposite the Dolphin Shopping Centre.

The properties within the ownership included a former branch of Natwest Bank (the 18,500 sq ft Arndale House) as well as numerous retail units and offices located along Kingland Road with tenants including Boots Opticians, The Royal Bank of Scotland & Fox & Sons estate agents.

Alastair Knott, Director at Sibbett Gregory commented: “Whilst the ownership and structure of the Head Lease was quite complex, the strategic location within Poole town centre provides numerous development and investment opportunities for the purchaser”.